Prepare mouth-watering Dutch oven meals for your family. Choose from among various cast iron Dutch ovens that retain and distribute heat evenly. You’ll discover how these cookware can add a lovely smoked flavor to foods instead of the rather chalky taste you get with aluminum Dutch ovens.

When buying cast iron Dutch ovens, keep the following in mind:

~Buy a Dutch oven with legs, not with a flat bottom. The three legs must be cleanly attached to the bottom of the oven. They should not be bent, cracked or broken off.
~Ensure that the lid fits properly with the lip of the over lying flush all the way around without any significant gaps.
~Check the casting or thickness of the metal as areas which are 15% thicker or thinner than the remaining areas will produce hot and cold spots during cooking and cooling.
~Find an oven with a lid that has a loop handle that is cleanly attached to the center.
~The wire handle attached to the oven itself should be easy to handle and is strong enough for carrying a heavy pot full of stew.